Charles w



(No Model.)

G. W. COX'. FILE;

No. 482,497.V Patented Sept. 13, A1892.

MMM-. I QQ-md@ on. me l il UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. COX, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

FILE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,49*?, datedSeptember 13, 1892.

Application filed February 27, 1892. Serial No. 423,035. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. COX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Files, of which thefollowing is a specication, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section on line1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, being a centrallongitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section online 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of the cards, andFig. 5is aview of one of the memorandum-cards which my improved file isadapted to receive.

My invention relates to tiles which are particularly adapted for iilingcards containing addresses of business houses or of persons orcontaining any other memoranda which it is desired to preserve.

Heretofore it has been customary with merchants to preserve the names oftheir patrons or of persons to whom they wish to send circulars or whoseaddresses they desire to keep in a book in which the names ofthe-parties were written, together with their addresses. In keeping thenames in this way the frequent change of address of the partiesnecessitated a frequent erasure and rewriting of the names, andfrequently the names became obliterated or blurred, so that it wasdifiicult to decipher them.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved tile whichwill be particularly adapted for the use above referred to, in which thedifferent addresses may be readily changed when necessary and may beeasily accessible. I accomplish this object as hereinafter specified,and as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, l indicates a receptacle for containing the variousparts of the iile, which receptacle is preferably in the shape of adrawer adapted to lit into a cabinet. The

drawer 1 is provided at each side along its lower edge with a groove 2,as best shown in Fig. 3.

3 indicates a dovetailed groove formed in the bottom of the drawer 1, asbest shown in Fig. 3.

indicates adovetailed slide, which fits into the groove 3 and is adaptedto slide therein longitudinally of the drawer 1.

5 indicates a board, which is about as wide as the drawer 1, which boardis mounted upon the slide At and is supported by means of a hinge G,which is secured to the board and to the slide 4, as best shown in Fig.2, in such manner as to permit the board 5 to be tilted in the directionindicated by the arrow 1n Fig. 2.

7 indicates a spring mounted upon the' hinge 6 and adapted to return theboard 5 to a vertical position. The lower edge of the board 5 is squaredto rest squarely upon the slide .t, as best shown in Fig. 2. By theconstruction shown the board 5 may be tilted toward the front of thedrawer, but cannot be tilted in the opposite direction, owing to thefact that its lower edge will bind upon the slide 4, as shown, and uponthe bottom of the drawer 1, as the groove 3 is of such depth that theupper surface of the slide et will be about upon a level with the bottomof the drawer.

8 indicates metallic pins projecting from the lower edge of the board 5and adapted to enter the bottom of the drawer when the board 5 is in itsvertical position, as shown in Fig. 3.

9 indicates a transverse bar secured upon the slide t at a slightdistance from the board 5 and between the board 5 and the front of thedrawer.

10 indicates a number of cards, which are adapted to it loosely in thedrawer 1. Each card 10 is provided on its lower edge with a metallicstrip 11, which is provided with projecting ends 12, which extend ashort distance beyond the edges of the card,as shown in Fig. 4. The ends12 of the strips 1l are adapted to fit in the grooves 2 in the sides ofthe drawer l, as best shown in Fig. 3, and to move therein lengthwise ofthe drawer. The cards 10 may be removed from the drawer by turning themat an angle to the sides of the drawer, so that one end of the strip 1lwill be thrown forward and the other backn ward. Any desired number ofcards may be used in the drawer. The number of cards should, however, belimited, so that the cards may be placed at a sufficient distance apartto receive the desired amount of matter between them, as will behereinafter described.

The cards 10 are intended to have printed or written upon them thenaines of different towns or States. In the space between the cards isplaced one or more cards 13, which contains the name and address of afirm or any other matter which it is desired to preserve, the memorandabeing placed behind the proper card 10-as, for instance, if the addressto be preserved were that of Pick, Pluck & Co., 1418 South street,Chicago, .the card containing the address, as indicated in Fig. 5, wouldbe placed behind the card 10 having t-he word Chicago written or printedupon it.

It is evident that instead of placing the meinorandiim-cards 13 behindthe cards 10 they may be placed before, all the cards being arrangedsimilarly.

In order to hold the cards 10 compactly, the slide 4 is moved forward inthe drawer 1 until the cross-bar 9 comes in contact with the lowerportion of the nearest card 10. The cards will then be held compactlytogether, as when the board 5 is in a vertical position it cannot bemoved toward the rear of the drawer, owing to the presence of the pins8.

Vhen it is desired to insert other cards in the tile or when for anyreason it is desired to separate the cards 10, by turning the board 5forward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the pins 8 will bewithdrawn from the bottom lof the drawei', thereby permitting the slide4 to be moved toward the rear of the drawer.

By the use of the cross-bar 9 sufficient space is always providedbetween the board 5 and the adjacent card 10 to permit of the boardbeing tilted forward, as shown.

By the use of my improved file whenever it is desired to change anaddress or to erase it all that is necessary is to remove it from thetile and tlieinconvenieiice of erasing it is avoided.

I have shown the cards 10 as being at the front end of the drawer 1 andthe board 5 as tilting toward the front of the drawer; but it is evidentthat the cards 10 may be placed at the rear end of the drawer, ifdesired, and with such construction the board 5 should tilt toward therear end ofthe drawer.

Instead of making the cards 10, as shown, with metallic strips on theirlower edges having projecting ends the cards may be formed of suitablematerial and be so cut as to have projecting ends on their lower edges,so that the use of separate strips may be dispensed with, the ends ofthe card itting into the grooves 2.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is- 0 1. The combination, with a drawer having a groove in thebottom thereof, of a slide titted into said groove, aboard hinged uponsaid slide and adapted to be tilted toward the front of the drawer,cards tted into said drawer between the board and the front of thedrawer, said cards being adapted to be moved lengthwise of the drawer,and means forlocking said board rigidly in iixed engagement with .thedrawer when such board stands perpendicular and releasingit fromengagement with the drawer when the board is tilted forward,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a drawer having a longitudinal groove in thebottom thereof, of a slide fitted into said groove, board 5, hinged uponsaid slide,a hinge()l to permit of the tilting of said board, devicescarried by said board adapted to engage the bottom of the drawer whenthe board is in a vertical position and to be thrown out of engagementwith the bottoni of the drawer when the board is tilted, and cards 10,movable lengthwise of said drawer, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a drawer 1, having a groove 3, of a slide 4,fitted into said groove, board 5, mounted upon said slide 4,a hinge (i,secured to said board and to the slide in suoli manner as to permit ofthe tilting ot' said board, pins 8 in the bottom of said board, adaptedto engage the bottom ot the drawer when the board is in a verticalposition and to be thrown out lof engagement when the board is tilted, aspring 7, adapted to return the board to a vertical position, and cards10, movable lengthwise of said frame, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with aframe 1, having grooves 2 along its loweredges and a groove 3 extending lengthwise thereof, of a slide 4, fittedin said groove 3, board 5, mounted upon said slide, a hinge 6, connectedto said board and to the slide in such manner as to permit of thetilting of the board, a spring 7, adapted to return the board to avertical position, pinsv 8 in the lower edge of said board, adapted toengage the bottom of the drawer when the board is in a vertical positionand to be thrown out of engagement with the drawer when the board istilted, cross-bart) upon said slide a short distance from the board 5,and cards 10, having strips 11, said strips having projecting ends 12,adapted to fit into the grooves 2, substantially as described.

CHARLES NV. COX. Vtitnesses:

JOHN L. J AoKsoN, NELLIE MCKIBBEN.

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